Corporator’s kin allege medical negligence

The death of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Corporator Rajashree Andekar of Nana Peth (Panel number 48 A) at KEM Hospital on September 6 has raised many questions with the kin accusing the medical authorities of negligence and filing complaint with Samarth police station against Samarth Hospital and KEM Hospital both located at Rasta Peth. The deceased corporator’s husband Suryakant Andekar alleged that his wife died of wrong injection given by the compounder of Samarth Hospital after which she went into a coma. He also alleged that KEM Hospital did not reveal the treatment and medicines administered to the patient. Samarth Police are inquiring the case and will take action after receiving the report prepared by the panel of Medical Board of Sassoon General Hospital.

The NCP corporator, who was elected during the Pune municipal polls in 2012, was admitted to Samarth Hospital by her husband Suryakant. Her husband said that Rajashree’s blood report was shown to Dr Suhas Kalashetti, who said that the patient was diagnosed with chikungunya and needs immediate medical attention. Suryakant admitted his wife at Samarth Hospital in Rasta Peth on February 5.

Rajashree Andekar

“After admitting her in the hospital, Dr Kalashetti was absent and her medical treatment was carried out by Shankar Mali who is a compounder. Mali called Dr Kalashetti on phone and the latter advised him to give some injection to the patient. Mali gave the injection to Rajashree after which within 15 minutes she went into comatose state and even urinated on the bed,” said Suryakant.

Seeing Rajashree’s condition deteriorating, the Andekar family shifted her to nearby KEM Hospital on February 5. Suryakant said that the doctors admitted her in ICU and started treatment. “She did not recover from the coma state and succumbed on September 6 in the hospital. During the treatment she was also taken to Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital on April 5 and the doctors said that her brain is damaged. We later re-admitted her in KEM hospital,” said Suryakant, adding that the medication bill at the hospital during the seven months touched Rs 1.5 crore which was borne by the Pune Municipal Corporation.

“The wrong medication done by Samarth Hospital and concealing the fact by KEM Hospital took my wife’s life and the people responsible for this negligence should be punished,” he said. Andekar has written an application through Advocate Bilal Shaikh to Samarth Police demanding medical negligence offence under the law against the doctors of both hospitals on August 28. Advocate Shaikh said that it is a clear case of medical negligence.

“Samarth Hospital administered wrong injection to the patient. When she was admitted in ICU of KEM hospital’s urology department for further treatment, the KEM doctors despite knowing she was given wrong medication by previous hospital (Samarth Hospital), did not disclose the fact. If we were told about the fact, then we would have admitted her to super specialty hospital. KEM Hospital doctors tried to protect their counterparts at Samarth Hospital,” Shaikh said, adding “We have written the application to Samarth Police that offence should be registered against doctors of both hospitals as per Sections 338 (medical negligence), 304, II (culpable homicide) and 467 (forgery of valuable security) of the Indian Penal Code.”

Samarth Police Station Senior Inspector Rajendra Mohite confirmed that they have received the application from Andekar. “We have recorded the statements of both parties. We are forwarding the case to Sassoon General Hospital Medical Board and will take action after receiving their report.”

When TGS visited Samarth Hospital, cardiologist Dr Kalashetti said that the patient was suffering from chikungunya hyperthyroid and other complications and there is no staffer by the name Shankar Mali working at the hospital. “When the patient came to our hospital I was busy treating another patient so my sister Pooja called me and asked for the injection. I suggested monosafe antibiotic to reduce fever. After the injection was administered to the patient, she went to washroom and fell unconscious. Then we shifted her to KEM. We have given right medical treatment and gave our statement to the police,” he said.

KEM Hospital Medical Administrator Dr VL Yemul told TGS,” We have given her proper treatment. The patient was admitted in the hospital in an unconscious state. We administered her standard line of treatment for seven months. The cause of death was known and as it was not a medico legal case we didn’t advise her post mortem after death. Police have recorded our doctors’ statement and we are cooperating in the investigation.”